Arts & Culture

Book Gift Ideas For Mom On Mother’s Day

Want the perfect gift for mom this Mother’s Day? Check out these books from Simon & Schuster, whether she’s looking for an novel she just can’t put down, an inspirational memoir, or just wants a little help in the kitchen, she’ll be glad when you hand her one of these—perhaps happier after she’s been treated to breakfast in bed!

Courtesy of Simon & Schuster

Teaching the Cat to Sit: A Memoir By Michelle Theall

Teaching the Cat to Sit tells the story of Michelle Theall who grew up in the Texas Bible Belt, at odds with her volatile and depressed mother. At 42, Michelle has made delicate peace with her mother and lives her life openly with her partner of ten years and their adopted four-year-old son in Colorado. But when her son’s Catholic school decided to expel all children of gay parents, Michelle finds herself in a public battle with the Church and a private one with her parents that causes her to examine how to be a good mother and daughter.

Courtesy of Simon & Schuster

The Museum Of Extraordinary Things By Alice Hoffman

The Museum of Extraordinary Things is the story of electric and impassioned love between two vastly different souls set against the backdrop of a vibrant turn-of-the-century New York City. Coralie Sardie spends her days performing as the Mermaid in her father’s “museum”—a Coney Island freak show—while dreaming of freedom. Eddie Cohen runs away from his father’s home and a Lower East Side factory in hopes of becoming a photographer. If your mom loved The Night Circus or Water for Elephants, this is the perfect gift!

Courtesy of Simon & Schuster

Carla’s Comfort Foods: Favorite Dishes from Around the World By Carla Hall

Top Chef fan favorite and celebrity chef, Carla Hall is the maven of comfort food. In these 125 recipes, she takes on international flavors of comfort, offering variations on everyone’s soulful favorites. Sections are devoted to turnovers around the globe like curried potato samosas, spanakopita, moussaka, and empanadas, and others to variants of Chicken ‘n Rice dishes like Arroz con Pollo, Jollof, and Paella. Give your mom a day of comfort and prepare her one of these delectable meals!

Courtesy of Simon & Schuster

Whistling Past The Graveyard By Susan Crandall

In the bestselling tradition of The Secret Life of Bees and To Kill a Mockingbird, Whistling Past the Graveyard is a coming-of-age tale set against the backdrop of 1960s Mississippi. When nine-year-old Starla runs away from home, she doesn’t expect to hitch a ride with Eula—a black woman who is driving with a white baby alongside her. Through a series of unforeseen events, Eula and Starla embark on a road trip to Nashville that leads to healing and self-discovery for both. Moms all over will enjoy this tender story of unlikely companions who show each other that often, family is forged from those who sacrifice all for you—whether bound by heart or blood.

From bestselling author of What Crazy Looks Like on an Ordinary Day come the triumphant journal entries of a compelling writer and remarkable woman. Pearl Cleage’s journal and memoir charts not only the political fights but also the pull she began to feel on her own passions—a pull that led her away from her husband, Michael Lomax, as she grappled with ideas of feminism and self-fulfillment. In the bestselling tradition of writers like Joan Didion, Maya Angelou, and Nora Ephorn, Cleage’s self-portrait raises women’s confessional writing to the level of fine literature.

This list was provided by Simon & Schuster, A CBS Company. For more information about these books or other newly released titles, visit www.simonandschuster.com